← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · Spida
Thread ID: 6441 | Posts: 1 | Started: 2003-05-02
2003-05-02 02:46 | User Profile
Here is an interesting article, what is you take on it?http://www.americasnewspaper.com/editorials.shtml
This is the part that bothers me:
"In fact, Saddam in many ways circumvented the sanctions. And Russia and France laughed all the way to the bank reaping billions of dollars in profit from the oil-for-food program. Nothing more clearly confirms Iraq's blatant circumvention of sanctions than Saddam's daily illegal diversion of 200,000 barrels of oil to the neighboring rogue state of Syria -- even as Syria audaciously used its seat on the Security Council to help thwart the war-authorization resolution. Regarding the highly profitable roles enjoyed by the United Nations in general and by France and Russia in particular, which were among the top five contractors in the oil-for-food program, Claudia Rosett blew the whistle on this self-serving scheme in April 18 editions of the New York Times. Given direct authority to approve Iraq's importation of goods not itemized on a special watch list, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan disproportionately gave the contracts to Saddam's favored trading partners -- France, Russia and Syria, the latter two of which inexplicably won contracts to supply Japanese vehicles to Iraq. Meanwhile, the United Nations raked in more than $1 billion from its 2.2 percent "commission" on the more than $50 billion worth of oil Iraq exported under the program. With the Syrian diversion lining Saddam's pockets and massive corruption pervading the oil-for-food program, no wonder Gen. Tommy Franks called it the "oil-for-palace program." Not surprisingly, both Russia and France, which succeeded in preventing the United States from obtaining a U.N. resolution specifically authorizing the use of force against Iraq, strongly oppose U.S. postwar plans on behalf of the long-suffering Iraqis. When Saddam wielded power, France and Russia had long sought to emasculate the economic sanctions. In return, Saddam rewarded them with huge oil-exploration contracts and other profitable trade benefits."